As important as prayer is in the life of a believer, too often our prayers
are poor and ineffectual because we follow the example of other Christians
instead of the examples given to us in the Scriptures. This morning we continue
to examine the prayer Paul and his companions in Rome made for the Colossians
believers as an example of how we ought to pray for one another. In this
particular section of the prayer, we also uncover several deep and wonderful
truths about our salvation from sin that should drive us to ever deeper
gratitude for God’s amazing mercy and grace extended to sinful man.

Context – vs. 9-12

Paul has written to the church in Colossae because he has received a full
report about their condition from Epaphras, the man that had brought the gospel
to them. There are some very serious issues that have developed in that church.
In the first half of the letter Paul will identify and warn them about heretical
doctrine that some among them were teaching. In the last half of the letter Paul
will address their manner of living by correcting some of their behaviors and
encouraging others. However, Paul begins this letter in Colossians 1:3-8 by
giving thanksgiving to God. Paul kept his perspective in balance by keeping in
mind the larger picture instead of concentrating on just the current problems.
Epaphras had told him what was going wrong, but he also reported what was going
well, so there was great cause for thanksgiving too. The Colossians had
responded well to gospel and this was demonstrated in their faith, its growth in
them, and their love for one another and all the saintsHTML clipboard(See: Paul’s
Thankfulness). We would do well to follow Paul’s example and
remember the larger picture even when we need to admonish a fellow believer over
their sin. Even though correction is needed, look for and give thanks to God for
how He has and is working in that person’s life. Then also remember to encourage
godly behavior and not just confront the sins.

In the next section of this letter, Colossians 1:9-14, Paul tells them the
nature and content of the prayers they have been making on their behalf. Follow
along as I read through this prayer: 9 “For this reason also, since the day
we heard [of it], we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be
filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please [Him] in all
respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of
God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the
attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the
Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the
kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of
sins.” [NASB]

The reason they were praying is because of all that Epaphras had told them.
The nature of their prayer was “unceasing” in that it was without hindrance
because they were conscious of both God’s hand at work and their needs which
only God could supply. They would give thanks, offer general prayers and ask the
Lord for specific petitions on their behalf whenever they were brought to mind,
and with Epaphras being present, we can be sure this was quite often even as
they prayed for many other people. HTML clipboard(See: The Prayer
for the Colossians, Pt. 1) .

The major request of their prayer was that they “be filled with the
knowledge of God’s will.” In keeping with Paul’s desire that every believer
becomes fully mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28), they
were praying that the Colossians would be permeated with a full knowledge of the
will of God, and that they would also have the spiritual wisdom and
understanding to apply that full knowledge to every day life. Knowledge without
wisdom results in educated foolishness, and they needed understanding in order
to discern between the true and the false, the good and the bad.

The result of this should be the fulfillment of the desire of the prayer that
they “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please [Him] in all respects.”
Their manner of conduct in life should be in keeping with their calling by the
Lord to be followers of Jesus. The prayer then goes on to express four
characteristics that demonstrate this walk that pleases the Lord. The first is “being
fruitful in every good work.” When the Holy Spirit controls our lives it
will be seen in both our manner of conduct (Galatians 5:22-23)and in the good deeds themselves which will cause others to glorify God
(Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 7:17-18). Second, such a walk with God will
result in an increasing knowledge of God as the believer continues to mature.
Third, the Lord’s strength will be seen in the disciples of Jesus which enables
them to face both difficult circumstances and endure difficult people with joy
knowing that God uses trials and tribulations in this life to make us mature(Romans 5:3-10; James 1:2-4). Finally, a proper walk with
the Lord will result in giving thanks to God for all that He has done. The
humility necessary to be saved from sin continues in life. No one will repent of
their sin without first being poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3),
and God is opposed to the proud and gives grace only to the humble(1 Peter 5:5).

This prayer points out four reasons for thankfulness to God in Colossians
1:12-14. First, the Father “has qualified us to share in the inheritance of
the saints in light.” Second, “He delivered us from the domain of
darkness.” Third, He “transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”
Fourth, in the Son “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” All of
these reasons for giving thanks are related to our salvation. This morning we
are going to look at each of these reasons in greater detail so that we will
have a greater knowledge of God’s will and His work in us so that we might
respond in walking in a manner worthy of our Lord and give proper thanksgiving
to Him.

Qualified – vs. 12.

The first reason stated for giving thanks to God the Father is that He
“has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

The hope of a heavenly inheritance is an important part of believing the
gospel. Paul had already expressed his thanksgiving to God concerning this back
in verse 5 (because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you
previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel . . .”). Paul is now
expressing in this prayer that they would be doing the same as a demonstration
of their walking in a manner worthy of the Lord and pleasing Him. Thanksgiving
is the proper response when we consider what God has done in saving us from our
sin and its consequences and adopting us as His children so that we are counted
as saints – His holy ones.

Paul’s description of God’s action in these two verses should remove all
human pride that we can or have somehow made ourselves worthy to receive God’s
favor. The ancient heresy of Pelagius still runs strong to various degrees in
several theological systems. Its central idea is that there is enough goodness
in man that he can by his own efforts and actions gain a place in heaven for
himself. Some groups teach man is good enough from birth to achieve this while
others add some religious ritual to the mix to take care of any sinful aspects
so that the person’s goodness can then earn them their spot in glory. Baptism is
a key ritual to accomplish this in several religions. Roman Catholicism has not
only baptism but also all its other sacraments. Even many who call themselves
evangelicals have fallen into this theological trap and have made what were
supposed to be responses of belief into actions of salvation. Listen carefully
to salvation testimonies and you will be surprised how often the person will go
back to something they did as the means of salvation. “I was baptized,” “I
came forward at the altar call,” “I raised my hand when the evangelist
asked,” “I prayed the sinner’s prayer.” While all of those things
could be good and the legitimate response of faith, all of them are also
infected with the “I disease.” The expressions used place emphasis upon what the
individual has done to gain God’s favor and a place in heaven instead of what
God has done for them despite their wretched, sinful condition.

In the five hours I was at evangelism booth at the fair on Friday morning and
afternoon, every person that came in and took the good person test thought they
were good enough to go to heaven. That was not unusual. What was unusual is that
they all continued to insist that were still good enough even after their
failure to keep God’s law was pointed out. Most people usually will at least
admit they are not good enough when their sin is exposed. However, each of these
were convinced in their own minds that their good outweighed their bad and
therefore God would welcome them into heaven. They insisted they were qualified
to make it on their own. Paul disagrees.

Paul specifically points out here that it is God the Father that qualifies us
to be among those that receive His inheritance. The verb used here,ikanow hikanoÃ´,
means “to make fit,” “sufficient,” “adequate,” and hence, “qualified.”
It is an aorist active participle showing that it is the Father that has taken
the action upon the people He has so qualified. People cannot make themselves
sufficient because all of our righteous deeds are as filthy rags before our holy
God (Isaiah 64:6), and any and every sin condemns us. The
soul that sins must die (Ezekiel 18:4) and everyone sins(Romans 3:23) so that there all are corrupt and none does
good (Psalm 14:2-3). Every human is completely unqualified
to receive anything from God except His just judgment and condemnation. Only God
can qualify us for His blessings and Paul will explain in verse 13 & 14 how God
makes a sinful human sufficient and adequate in righteousness. But what exactly
has God qualified us for?

The phrase used here is “to share in the inheritance of the saints in
light.” The particular Greek words here (meriV /
meris = portion / share and klhroV/ klaros = lot) reflects the inheritance the descendants of Abraham
received when they entered the Promised Land and each tribe received its portion
according to the casting of the lot – the results of which were determined by
God (Proverbs 16:33).

God has determined what each Christian will inherit from Him. What do
followers of Jesus inherit?

There are several aspects to our inheritance. The first and foremost is
eternal life. In speaking to His disciples in Matthew 19:29 Jesus said, “And
everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or
children or farms for My name’s sake, shall receive many times as much, and
shall inherit eternal life.” Keep in mind that when the Bible speaks of
eternal life it is not referring to just length of life, for even the wicked
will continue to exist for their judgment and condemnation is eternal(Matthew 25:41). Eternal life refers to knowing God and
eternal existence in His presence which is our blessed hope (John
17:3; Matt. 25:34; 1 John 5:20; Titus 2:13).

Related to this is the phrasing in Hebrews 1:14 that speaks of angels
rendering service “for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.”
This in a very appropriate idea because children inherit and those who are saved
are those who have received and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ so that they
have been given the right to be called the children of God by adoption(John 1:12; Ephesians 1:5).

This inheritance is an “inheritance [which is] imperishable and undefiled
and will not fade away, reserved in heaven”(1 Peter 1:4).
It is also one that is guaranteed for the Holy Spirit is “given as a pledge
of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God’s own] possession, to
the praise of His glory”(Ephesians 1:14). All of this
means that it is an inheritance we have now though the full benefits of it will
not be until we are translated from these bodies into our glorified ones at the
coming of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:50 makes it clear “that flesh and blood
cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the
imperishable.” We look forward to that future change.

Another aspect of our inheritance is the kingdom of God in the millennial
reign of Jesus on this earth. Revelation 20:6 tells us that those who are part
of the first resurrection (believers) “will be priests
of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” This
will be the fulfillment of Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount that the
meek would inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).

Multiple Scriptures make it clear that the unrighteous will not receive any
part of this inheritance (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians
5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5). It is an inheritance only for the saints, and
they are those who are called out by God to be separated from the world unto
Himself. Paul adds the additional description “the saints in the light” to make
a sharp contrast between God’s saints and those still in the darkness of this
world. The term “light” is often used throughout scripture to describe purity,
holiness and the manner of life of those who are followers of the Jesus. 1 John
1:5-7 explains, “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce
to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say
that we have fellowship with Him and [yet] walk in the darkness, we lie and do
not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son
cleanses us from all sin.”

Delivered – vs. 13,

The first part of verse 13 begins the explanation of how God qualified us to
be saints. It also reveals why man cannot save himself. “He delivered us from
the domain of darkness.” Just as light is often used as an analogy of purity
and holiness, darkness is used as an analogy of sin and unrighteousness. The
reality is that without God’s intervention we are trapped in darkness.

The word for domain (exousia / exousia) refers to
authority, power and control. Being blinded by the God of this world(2 Corinthians 4:4) all were entrapped in the power of the
evil one (1 John 5:19). As Ephesians 2:1-3 explains,
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among
them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the
rest.” Our very decisions and practices confirmed our sinfulness and love of
the darkness.

The word delivered (ruomai / rhuomai) speaks of
being rescued and set free. Man is naturally proud and does not like to think of
himself as a slave to anyone or anything, but the reality is that we were slaves
of sin (John 8:34) because we were obedient to sin
(Romans 6:16). Such a slave cannot free himself for he loves the darkness
instead of the light (John 3:19). It is God that had to
take action if we were to be delivered from the domain of darkness. In order to
rescue us from this slavery, God had to break the power of our previous master.
Jesus broke the power of the devil when He became a man, lived a sinless life,
died as the substitute sacrifice for sin and bodily rose from the grave(Hebrews 2:14-15).

However, breaking the power of the previous master would not be enough in
itself to free slaves because they would only continue to obey their previous
master even though his legal claim had been removed. God also had to enable us
to be obedient to a new master – righteousness. Jesus does this through the
preaching of the gospel which opens the eyes of those who had been blind. InActs 26:18 Paul recounts the commission Jesus gave him to preach the gospel and“open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the
dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and
an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”

Transferred – vs. 13

God not only rescued us from our enslavement to Satan and freed us from his
domain, God also “transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”
Rescue and transfer go hand in hand, but each places emphasis on a different
aspect of the total action taken. Deliverance or rescue focuses on the actions
taken to free the person from their former bondage. Transfer (meqisthmi/ methistami) focuses on being removed from one place and taken to a new
one. The word is used in 1 Corinthians 13:2 of moving mountains. What is removed
from one place is put somewhere else. When Israel fell to Assyria, the people
were removed and transferred to other lands.

Having been freed from the devil’s power God would also remove us from the
devil’s dominion and make us part of a different kingdom, that of His beloved
Son, Jesus Christ. How is it that God makes someone a part of this kingdom?

Remember that our inheritance in the saints includes being part of God’s
kingdom, so this transfer occurs in the same way. Again, as John 1:12-13 states,“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of
God, [even] to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” The transfer
occurs by means of adoption by God into His family. We receive the adoption as
sons so that we are no longer slaves, but sons who can call God, “Abba! Father!”
and if sons, then heirs through God (Galatians 4:4-5).

What the apostle John says here matches what the apostle Paul states in
Colossians. This transfer of kingdoms is something done by God according to His
will and not something man could do for himself. It does not come through your
genealogy. It does not come because you want it or because someone else wants it
for you. You are adopted because God wills it. How does that work out in
practical terms in the life of an individual.

It begins with God being “longsuffering toward us, not willing that any
should perish but that all should come to repentance“ (2Peter 3:9). It continues with the Holy Spirit’s work to bring a person to
conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8).
They come to understand that they are sinful in breaking the commandments of
God, that righteousness is found in Jesus and that God’s judgment will come upon
the devil and all his followers. God extends grace by quickening the soul of the
individual so that what was dead became alive in Jesus resulting in repentance
of sin and belief in the person and work of Jesus so that they will trust His
promises and seek to follow His commands (Ephesians 2:5).
By God’s grace we are saved through faith in His Son which is reckoned to us as
righteousness (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 4:5). We are
therefore no longer under God’s condemnation but transferred from Satan’s realm
into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Redeemed – vs. 14, In the Son “we have redemption, the forgiveness of
sins

Paul’s final point as a reason for giving thanks to God places emphasis on
the means by which we are qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints in
light, delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of
His Son. In the beloved Son “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
This is also an additional reason that man cannot earn his own salvation.

Salvation cannot occur unless there is forgiveness of sins. Sin refers to all
of our transgressions of God’s commandments from the least to the greatest. The
word itself (amartia / hamartia) refers to missing
the mark of a perfect bullseye when shooting an arrow. Anything less than
perfect righteousness before God is sin, and as has already been pointed out,
the wages of sin is death. It was Adam and Eve’s failure to keep God’s
prohibition about eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge that resulted in
their separation from intimate fellowship with God, being kicked out of the
Garden of Eden, and the process of physical death beginning.

While God is longsuffering and patient with man even to the point of
overlooking their ignorance and not bringing their justly deserved judgment upon
them quickly (Acts 17:30), He will eventually judge and He
will do so without partiality (Revelation 20:11-15). Man
cannot escape this reality on his own because there is nothing he can do himself
to alleviate his offenses against God and make things right. Even the good deeds
he might perform do not meet God’s perfect standard so that they are filthy
before Him (Isaiah 64:6).

Our only hope is to find some way in which God will grant us forgiveness (afesiV/ aphesis), a pardon for our wrongs against Him. Unless there is some
means by which He will release us from our guilt and dismisses the charges
against us, each of us will pay the price for our sins in the present and
throughout eternity. We will be shut out from His presence and pay the penalty
of eternal destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

Some people are not concerned about God’s future judgment because they think
they are good enough, but as I have already pointed out that is a false belief.
They may do better than others, but their deeds will convict them. Some avoid
present worry and concern by simply denying there is a God or that He will
judge. Such peace is short lived for it will all disappear when God calls them
to account for their souls. Many people think God will continue to be
longsuffering and just overlook their sins. God’s goodness and kindness to them
in being patient should cause them to repent, but instead they are indifferent.
They are storing up God’s wrath upon themselves when God will render to every
man according to his deeds. Reality is expressed in Hebrews 9:27 which declares,“it is appointed for men to die once and after this [comes] judgment.”
There is a God. He will judge and He cannot overlook sin forever because He is
good and just. He is consistent with His own character and will carry out all of
His promises including those of wrath and punishment upon sinners.

We need our sins forgiven. We are desperate for God’s pardon to dismiss our
guilt, but there is nothing we ourselves can do to gain it. There is nothing
with which we can bargain for it. The only thing we can do is be humble before
our Creator and beg for His mercy. That is being poor in spirit and God does
grant grace to the humble so that they can be included in His kingdom (Matthew
5:3; 1 Peter 5:5), but even God cannot grant forgiveness unless justice is also
carried out. That is the reason why redemption is necessary and that it precedes
forgiveness.

Redemption (apolutrwsiV/ apolutrÃ´sis) is one of several Biblical terms that express different
aspects of the work accomplished in Jesus’ death on the cross. Sacrifice speaks
of the price of sin. Offering speaks of the voluntary nature of the sacrifice.
Propitiation speaks of the turning away of God’s wrath. Justification speaks of
our acquittal. Redemption speaks of the price paid to release us from our
bondage. It is the ransom price. It is by redemption that God through Jesus
breaks the power of the devil’s domain and transfers us to His own kingdom. The
price of sin is high, but Jesus willingly gave His own life as the means of
redemption to purchase us for Father. Because justice is met, we can be
“justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ
Jesus” (Romans 3:24). God can extend forgiveness to those who humbly request
it based on belief in Jesus and trust in His promises. We are pardoned because
Jesus has paid the price on our behalf and Psalm 103:12 is fulfilled so that our
transgressions are removed as far as the east is from the west.

Conclusions

Redemption allow us to be forgiven. Redemption delivers us from the domain of
darkness and transfers us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. Redemption
qualifies us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. No wonder
giving thanks to God along with bearing fruit in every good work, increasing in
the knowledge of God and being strengthened with God’s glorious might so that we
might be joyful even when patiently enduring difficult circumstances and people
are characteristics of walking in a manner worthy of the Lord and pleasing Him.
All of this is predicated on being filled with the full knowledge of God’s will
with all spiritual wisdom and understanding. That is why Paul prayed this way
for the Colossians – and why we should follow this example and pray for one
another in the same way.

KIDS CORNER

Parents, you are responsible to apply
God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children –
draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your
picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – 1) Write down all
the verses mentioned. 2) Count how many times is mentioned. 3) Talk with your
parents about what God has done to save people from their sins.

THINK ABOUT IT!

Questions to consider in discussing
the sermon with others. What is the context of the prayer in Colossians 1:9-12?
What are the major elements in this prayer? What are the four reasons given in
the prayer that we should be thankful to God? What does it mean to be
“qualified” and how does that happen? What inheritance(s) do believer’s receive
from God? Why can’t people be good enough to qualify themselves for heaven? What
is the domain of darkness? Why are people in that domain? Why can’t they escape
it themselves? How does God have to deliver / rescue people from it? How does
God transfer people to the kingdom of His beloved Son? What is man’s part in
this? What is sin and how pervasive is it in the human soul? What is
forgiveness? Can man escape God’s judgment without his sins being forgiven? What
does God’s justice demand in order for sin to be forgiven? How does God satisfy
both His justice and love? What is redemption? How does Jesus’ death redeem
sinful man? What thanksgiving do you owe to God?